Automobile curtain control



Sept. l5, 1931. i J. MORIN 1,823,623

AUTOMOBILE CURTAIN CONTROL Filed Feb. 27,1930

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Patented Sept. 15, 1931 Nrrao" lst-ATasjV LEoN J. 'Ii/roam, 0F TAUN'TOK,MASSACHUSETTS AUTOMOBILE CURTAIN Co'NTno'L,

Application led February 21,1930.V Serial No. 431,661.

My invention relates to a manually opere ated device yfor operating acurtain Vfrom a distance particularly a rearv curtain in an automobile.The annoyance caused by glarla' ing headlights shining through the rearwindow ot an automobile is well recognized by the average operator `whounlessaccompanied may be forced to stop to lower the rear curtain withthe consequence that a little laterhe EL@ mayv desireV the samecurtainraised and pertorce must stop again.. .v It is an object of myinventionzto provide a manually operated remote `Acontrol device forraising or lowering a curtain which is simple in structure and reliablein opera tion.

A further object of my invention is to pro-V vide a manually operatedremote control de vice for operating a rear automobile curtain whereinthe curtain is suitably weighted so that it descends 'by reason of saidweight' and is raised by a tape or strand operated by a handle near thedriver with a suitable means tor holding said curtain in a raisedposition and means for limiting the'travel in either direction. f

@ther objects and advantages will appear from the detaileddescriptionwhich follows taken in connection with the accompanying Y 30drawings.

I attain these objects advantages by means ot mechanism illustrated inthe' accompanying drawings wherein i f Figure 1 is a sectional side`elevation of part-s of a closed automobile, illustratingthe generalrelation of the several parts Aof my invention. y

Figure 2 is anelevational view showing the curtain. with its' rodweight, portions of the curtain being cut awayto show the window,the'tape wound endor" the curtain roller and the rod weight. l I

Figure 3 is an 'enlarged elevational view of the fixture containing thehandle for operating the curtain with stop means for limiting themovement ot the curtain in either direction. i

Figure 4 is an elevational view ott-the `frontV half of the fixtureshowingthel positionof the handle when the curtain is completelyraised.. f Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the sectionline shown in Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows showingparts in full.

p Figure 6 is a plan view of a modied form of curtain raiser the ringcontacting the guide whenthe curtain is down and engaged by the hookwhenthe curtain is raised.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Inthe drawings, the curtain roller 1 is provided with a reduced endportion 2 at one end thereof and is mounted on a one piece bracket 3 asshown in Figures 1 ,and 2. f One end of thei'curtain roller is providedwith Va pintle .4. to tit into a'hole provided therefor in the bracketthe other vend which maybe called the tape holding end 4is provided witha disc member 5, having a central opening :tor the reception of thescrew passing through the hole in the bracket 3 to support the same forrotary movement.

- As statedbefore the reduced end of the 'roller is 4ot a diametersubstantially twothirds thediameter of the roller and is of a widthequal to thatot the tape or strandwhich isused to turn the roller. Thetape 6 is wound around thereduced end and is threaded through a guide 7which may or may not be provided with a sheave to facilitate thetra'veling'of the'tape, whence it passes through another guide 8 securedto the body B oftheautomobile t0 the actuating. device `whichwill bedescribed'. f

The curtain shade 9 is secured in the usual automobiles. A tassel14m-ayV be attached to the tape 6 as shown in Figure l to enable anyoneseated in the back seat to raise the curtain temporarily. It to beunderstood by the bolt 17 to the slide 18"having'the"` handle 19 Thefixture 14 has a portion 2O stamped out whereby it may be secured byvscrews to the top of the automobile. The slide 14 with its sheave 16 isfreely slidable 'within-the slot 21 in the fixture and isshown in lockedposition in Figure L An adjustable stop member 22 may be used to secureadjustment if necessary to limit the downward movement of the curtain.V

It will be seen that with the mechanism described the curtain travelstwice as far as the slide, since the tape is doubled, therefore theslide should be arranged to travel a distance equal to lone half thetravel of the curtain.

In the modification shown in Figuren a much simpler means of raising`the curtain is disclosed consistingof the tape 6, a guide 23, a ring 24and hook 25;V When the curtain is loweredthe ring 24 is snuglycontacting the guide 23 and when pulled outrand'hooked as shown thecurtain is in the raised position. The distance between the guide 23 andthe hook 25 should be substantially equal to the distance the curtainshade travels. Of course the ring as well as the other raising mechanismshould be soV located as to position to be conveniently accessibleerator. y

- The mode of operation is apparent from an inspection of the drawings.'As' previously stated'the termini of travel of the handle or ring meansmust correspond to the 'travel of Ythe curtain.

. when it is desired tofrai'se the curtain the .Rill

handle or ring is pulled andlocled` in the case of the handle byk aright angle turn on the fixture and inthe case of the ring by engagementwith the hook.

I desire it to be understood that other approved means operating thetapemay be used such as a-raclr and a handle with teeth to engage 'therack or a different form of ring withouty departing from the spirit ofmy invention. l

Y All that has been said abovein the descriptionof my preferredembodiment is offered by way of illustration and not limitation. I donot wish to be limited to the exact .structure of the preferredembodiment shown and described, or to any particular material used inthe construction of parts, or to the design of parts, but desireprotection as against any tothe opvariations in structure orsubstitution of equivalents which utilize the principle of my inventionand fall within the purview of my invention and are within the spiritand scope of the following claims The invention having been set forthwhat is claimed as new and useful is:

l. In combination with-a shade roller for an automobile window, saidshade roller being freely rotatable and unrestrained, of gravity meansfor lowering the curtain7 of a eXible member adapted torbe wound upon aportion of said roll when the curtain is lowered, means Vto lock thefree end of said flexible member to restrain the lowering of saidcurtain, said locking means comprising Va pivotal slide, means forguiding said slide including a transverse portion., serving as a stopfor said slide and adapted to be engaged by said slide by a pivotalmovement thereof.

2. In an automobile curtain of the roller type. a flexible memberor'tape for controlling'the rolling and vunrolling of said curtain, saidflexible member or tape having one end thereofwound upon the roller, theother end beinglanchored, and means for varying the length of theflexible member or tape by a fractional movement of the curtain.

3. In a remote control for a curtain, a flexible member or tape forrolling or unrolling said curtain, means for locking the free end 'ofsaid flexible member 'or tape7 a slide engaging an intermediate portionof said member, whereby the curtain may be moved by a fractionalmovement of said sli de'.

4.'In a remote control for a curtain, a flexible member or tape forrolling or unrolling said curtain, means for locking the free end ofsaid flexible member or tape, a

slide engaging an intermediate portion of said member. whereby thecurtain may be moved bv la fractional movement of said slide. and meansto lock said slide in the raised position of said curtain.

5. In a remote control for a curtain for automobiles. said curtain beingmounted upon a roller.' including a flexible member or tape,- having oneend thereof wound upon a portion of said roller. the opposite end beingin proximity for operation by the driver of said automobile.y a bracketto which said end is connected. said bracket including a slide. saidslide engaging said flexible member or tape to roll or unroll saidcurtainv said member or tape, and comprising a slide enf gaging saidflexible member or tape, a slot in said bracket in Whichsad slide isguided, said slide being pivotally mounted Within said slot, and anabutting portion formedon said bracket, forming means to anchor saidslide by a pivotal movement thereof.

7. In a roller curtain for automobiles, or the like, a remote controltherefor, comprising a flexible member or tape servingY to actuate saidcurtain into the rolled or unrolled position, locking meansfor saidiexie ble member or tape adapted to bek positioned at the remote controlpoint, said locking means comprising a bracket, a guide formed on saidbracket, a slide pivotally mounted upon said guide, and an abutting Wallformed on said bracket adapted to be engaged by said slide, by a pivotalmovement of said slide, to hold said curtain in one extreme positionthereof.v

8. In a remote control for a roller curtain of an automobile, andincluding a flexible member or tape for rolling or unrolling saidcurtain, locking mechanism for said l.flexible member or tape,comprising a bracket, a `guide formed on said bracket, a portion thereofbeing formed With an abutting Wall at one end thereof, a slide engagingsaid flexible member or tape to operate the same for rolling orunrolling said curtain, said slide being pivotally connected with saidguide of said bracket, whereby it may be molved into position engagingsaid abutting Wal.

9. In a remote control for a roller curtain of an automobile, andincluding aflexible member ortape for rolling or unrolling said curtain,locking mechanism for said flexible member or tape, comprising abracket. a guide formed on said bracket, a portion thereof being formedwith an abutting Wall at one end thereof, la slide engaging saidflexible member or tape to operate the same for rolling or unroliingsaid curtain, said slide being pivotally connected with said guide ofsaid bracket, whereby it may be moved into position engaging saidabutting Wall` and an adjustable stop at the other end of said guide. pn

Signed at Providence, in the county of Providence, State of RhodeIsland, this 14th day of February, 1930.

LEON J. MORIN.

